Messengers of Peace

Timely.
As some of you may know, but now you all will… My oldest son, John, the Eagle Scout made a huge decision recently to put college on hold and follow in his Dad’s footsteps and join the Army. Not just join the Army, but do exactly what I did in the Army. Airborne Ranger.
While I am proud of him and excited for the adventures that await him, and know that there will be many. My heart, like that of any father wants him to be safe. I have served my time in combat and know what it is like. And as much as I loved my time in the Army and know that he will do well, I don’t want him to get hurt.
Having said that, it causes me to reflect on Baden Powell’s intent for Scouting. A World organization for peace. It is with that thought that this morning I stumbled on the BSA’s “Messenger for Peace” Site and thought to myself.. if only this works. My son (and your son’s and daughters) would not have to go to war.
I am on board with this. Check it out and see what you can do to be a messenger of peace.
From the BSA Website:

Fellow Scouters,In 1920, just two years after the most terrible war the world had ever known, 8,000 Scouts from 34 countries came together for the first world jamboree. At the closing ceremony, Scouting founder Robert Baden-Powell called on participants to carry the spirit of the jamboree home “so that we may help to develop peace and happiness in the world and goodwill among all Scouts.”

The Scouts of the world have been answering that call for more than 90 years.Today, Scouts in dozens of countries are working for peace by solving conflicts in their schools, building links between divided communities, teaching their peers about health and wellness, and repairing environmental damage. To recognize their efforts—and to inspire more young men and women to help Scouting create a better world—the World Scout Committee has launched the Messengers of Peace initiative. The Boy Scouts of America is proud to join this effort in 2012.

How can BSA units participate? All they have to do is go online and register the MOP-related community service projects (including Eagle Scout projects) they undertake. Doing so adds pins to a global Messengers of Peace map, which Scouts from around the world can click on to learn how their fellow Scouts are making a difference.

Scouts who complete MOP projects will be eligible for a special recognition: a ring patch that goes around the World Crest. That patch will symbolize their participation in an ever-widening circle of Scouts who are not just visualizing world peace but are helping to make it a reality.

The Scouts of the world have always been a powerful force for good. This initiative lets us celebrate what our Scouts have already accomplished and inspire them to accomplish even more. Please join us as we work together to create a better world.

There is a cool recognition for this program also. You can read more about it on the Byan on Scouting Blog.

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One thought on “Messengers of Peace”

It’s interesting to see the relationship between the military and Scouting. Of course, if it were not for the (British) Army with whom BP was serving as a Colonel at the Siege of Maferking, there would be no Scouting. This is where he first came up with his ideas that became the basis for his book ‘Scouting for Boys’ which started it all off.
However, some people still think of Scouting as a military organisation, which despite the links, say, the Air and Sea Scouts have to the RAF and Royal Navy here in the UK, it most definitely is not.

BP wanted, as you say, Scouting to be an organisation for peace. This came about during the Great War when even he as a career soldier was horrified at the amount of killing. He was even more upset when he realised how many of the original Scouts from that camp in 1907 were killed in WW1.

In 1917, BP wrote “The roots of Scouting have grown among young people of all civilised countries and are developing more each day. It might be thought that if in years to come, a considerable proportion of the future citizens of each nation forms part of this brotherhood, they will be joined by a bond of personal friendship and mutual understanding such as has never existed before, which will help to find a solution to terrible international conflicts.”

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